Weathering

Trent R Jorgensen

Weathering

Trent R Jorgensen

What is weathering?

To know weathering we need to know what it is. Weathering is when rocks slowly wear away. However there are different types of it. The 3 different types of it are Physical, biological, and chemical weathering.

Physical weathering

Physical weathering happens when physical changes occur. One way it occurs is through temperature changes if a rock gets hot it expands and if it gets cold it contracts. If it happens a lot it starts to crack and wear down. A specific place where this happens is in Egypt because its very hot during the day and very cold in the night. Wind rain and waves cause weathering as well

In the picture to the right you will see a rock worn down by physical changes to make it flat and chipped.

Biological weathering

Biological weathering is weathering caused by plants and animals. One way biological weathering happens is when small animals like rabbits can burrow in a rock and make a crack bigger or make a crack in all. Another way biological weathering happens is when plant roots grow in rocks/soil or rock cracks then when they grow so do the cracks.

The picture to the right is an example of biological weathering. Because it is a tree root growing out of the ground and that means it broke or is breaking rock(rock is also soil)

Chemical weathering

Chemical weathering is the weathering of rocks by chemicals. One way this happens is by rain. Rain water is kinda like acid because carbon dioxide from air makes it dissolve, minerals in rocks can react to this causing weathering . One example of this is chalk and limestone when rainwater hits this it starts a chemical reaction that causes weathering

The picture to the right is an example of chemical weathering. Because the rock has holes most likely caused by acidic rainwater.

Erosion

Erosion is an act when earth is moved from one place to another

Erosion by wind

Wind erosion occurs when strong gusts of wind blow sediment like sand to form things like dunes. Sediment sizes that wind can blow is dust, sand, and volcanic ash. One way that wind is responsible for effects on landforms is dramatic arches or dunes. Wind can also be responsible for eroding stuff until nothing remains. This can happen to places like beaches and cliffs.

The picture to the right shows a beach and beaches have dunes or are formed by wind.

Erosion by water

Erosion by water Happens when rain or water wears away bits of soil or rock creating larger and larger valley's. As it flows it washes over particles and picks them up and moves them. Sediment sizes water can carry is soil or rock. Effects on the land can make valley's, canyons, deltas, and it can form beaches.

In the picture you see a river that was strong enough to move away sand and rocks to connect to the ocean.

Erosion by gravity

Erosion by gravity occurs when gravity pulls rocks from one place to another or downhill. It also makes rivers flow which as we already know can cause erosion. Sediment sizes it can carry are Rocks and soil. Effects on landforms that gravity can do is many things like sinkholes, landslides, which can change formations on hills or mountains. that can also happen with mud slides which are also caused by gravity.

In the picture to the right you see rocks at the bottom of a hill that were pushed down by gravity

Erosion by glaciers

Glaciers can move slowly down hill and on land when they move they pick up almost everything in there path rocks carried by these glaciers break away at the ground when hitting it it then picks up more sediment. These glaciers pick up sediment when soil and rocks stick. Glaciers can carry all sizes of sediment. Glaciers can cause ice ages when these happen the places where it happened dramatically change. When these are over they make stuff like finger lakes, they can also make deep canyons and alluvial fans.

The picture on the right through all the trees is a lake that was made by glaciers so its a finger lake.